"...Is it over?" Trevor whispered as the flames left by the trio's final gambit finally began to fizzle out. Neither Aiden, Rin, nor anyone in the surrounding crowd dared make even the slightest utterance while waiting for any sign of Jett from within the mounds of thick smoke that erupted before them. For an entire minute, no sign of the Scizor could be seen or heard. Aiden allowed herself to release a sigh of relief.

"I think that did it..."

No sooner had Aiden uttered this naively hopeful statement when Jett staggered from the pillar of smoke, her once polished armor now covered in a layer of soot and scratches. The crowd gave a sharp gasp, then erupted into a sea of cheers upon seeing their hero's triumphant return. Jett, by contrast, wore an intense glare as she slowly rose to her feet.

"How... how are you still standing?!" Trevor shouted in horrified frustration.

The Scizor offered no response, instead continuing to bore a hole into Team Spirit with her piercing stare. "Well played," she stated bitterly, "Very well played. I was complacent for but a mere couple of seconds, and you three manage to turn the tides drastically. I can see how you managed to survive for so long; your persistence is admirable, I grant you that."

From the charred remains of her incinerated sash emerged a small, rainbow-colored stone which glittered brilliantly as Jett held it into the air. Several members of the crowd began to clamor excitedly.

"Alas, it's all for nothing. I can see now: I can't give you any opportunities to gain the upper hand. You three must be dealt with quickly and efficiently."

Both the rainbow stone as well as Jett's body became infused in light, the trio watching in horror as the Scizor's body began to rapidly morph. Her already huge pincers grew in size and grew fangs sharp enough to bite through steel as if it were a clump of sand. Even as her body remained enveloped in light, Trevor could see her body gaining in height as her already tough armor gained in mass and fortitude. Before long, the crowd erupted into a cacophony of applause and cheers as Jett stood confidently once more, her armor now transformed, her yellow eyes now a bright shade of blue. The Scizor exhaled a burst of steam with a drawn-out hiss, then turned to face the crumpled and weakened trio who lay before them.

The crowd gasped, then fell into complete silence as Jett aimed her new, chainsaw-shaped pincer straight between Trevor's eyes, the mere sight of the hulking monstrosity enough to tense up the ends of his fur. Both Rin and Aiden tried everything they could, despite their severely wounded states, to redirect her arm to no avail. A familiar hum rang in the air, rapidly increasing in pitch and loudness at twice the speed as before, until the Scizor was finally ready to fire a Signal Beam boasting triple the power from before. Trevor, injured and helpless, could stare pleadingly towards Jett's determined, cold eyes amidst the sea of haze which steadily began to envelop him...

"STOP!"

Trevor's vision rapidly regained focus to see the tiny, bright pink body which just swiftly wedged itself between Trevor's body and Jett's charged pincer, the fuzzy ball atop its giant, blue cap trembling violently. Holding his arms outwards with a desperate, pleading expression, the Mime Jr. tearfully stared directly into Jett's surprised eyes before shouting in a squeaky voice, "I can't take this anymore! Team Spirit's the only reason I'm alive, they're good guys! Please... please don't kill them!"

"W-wha?! Sunny, get out of here!" Aiden exclaimed in a panicked voice, much to Jett's mild surprise, "It's dangerous here!"

"Listen to her. Step aside," Jett stated flatly, "Your parents must be worried sick about you. Just leave this situation to the adults."

Sunny refused to budge, only seeming to increase in conviction over time. "I thought that the police were only supposed to arrest Pokémon that do bad things! What kind of protector are you?!"

"H-he's right!" From the crowd poked out the fuzzy head of Cody the Teddiursa, who hastily rushed to Sunny's side with beady eyes brimming with tears. "You can't kill them when they haven't done anything wrong! They're nice!"

Jett shook her head slowly. "These Pokémon may seem nice and innocent, but it's all a façade. They would kill anyone to save their own skins." Jett glared at Team Spirit with unbridled malice. "To corrupt the minds of children, is there truly no end to your depravity?!"

"That's not true!" Sunny interjected," Both Aiden and Trevor helped me in my time of need when nobody else would!"

"If you children would just listen-"

"You're the one who should be listening!" rang a scratchy voice from nearby. From the crowd emerged the purple face of Kino, Camo's slim, scaly body following shortly thereafter. The former pointed towards Jett accusingly.

"What kind of shopkeepers would we be-"

"-if we let our most loyal customers get killed right before our eyes?" Camo shook his head slowly as he and his sister joined the children in standing between Jett and the members of Team Spirit. "You can't just eliminate Pokémon just cause you feel like it! It would seem that these kids have more sense than everybody watching!"

Jett's face darkened, her voice lowering to a bitter growl. "Stop-"

"Y-yes! I'm afraid I have to agree!" The bright blue locks of Apollo the Simipour was next to emerge from the increasingly confused crowd, the bushy-haired Oro trailing nearby. "Team Spirit has proven themselves to be a vital asset to the Association- they've faced outlaws and dungeons that most Explorers within their rank would never have dreamed of! Miss Jett, as the administrator who oversaw this team's creation, I implore you to reconsider their punishment, human or otherwise!"

To Aiden's utter surprise, even Sidney rushed in to join the growing group of Pokémon standing in Jett's way, his yellow eyes burning with intensity as he gasped for breath. "A Floatzel and Lapras from this continent told me everything. I don't know much about humans, but I'll be damned if I let you hurt my sister! I don't care if you're a Legend- she's under my protection!"

"You guys..." Aiden murmured weakly, her voice tinged with emotion, "Thank you-"

"ENOUGH!" Jett suddenly screamed in fury. With a single swipe of one of her pincers, she knocked the group of protesting Pokémon aside and took aim squarely between Trevor's eyes. "These Pokémon are pure evil, and it is clear to see that you all lack the will to see through their clear deceptions!" Even while battered and barely conscious, Trevor could sense a slight crease in the Scizor's eyes marking the slightest bit of doubt. I... I will end this once and for all! Justice will prevail!"

"NO!" Aiden and Rin screamed as Jett's laser finished charging. Trevor forcefully shut his eyes as his entire body became enveloped in light, silently anticipating the certain death which loomed in the form of the Scizor's next attack. An earsplitting screech resonated as Jett's laser fired with enough power to instantly disintegrate anything in its path.

And yet, Trevor felt no pain. All he could feel at that moment was his heart pounding rapidly against its confines as wind rapidly brushed against his fur and whiskers. The Meowth slowly dared to reopen his eyes to witness a tall figure standing in front of him holding a staff like object which parted the beam of light into two. The now redirected laser slowly fazed out to reveal the identity of the mysterious silhouette: a stoic-faced Lucario wearing a white robe which fluttered elegantly in the wind, a massive, translucent blue bone glowing impressively in his sturdy palms. Trevor's mind wandered towards the golden statue which served as the centerpiece of Sunrise Town.

"Y-y-you-" Aiden murmured in sheer disbelief, "Y-you're-"

"Zephyr." Jett murmured, the mighty warrior taking a few steps backwards in barely concealed intimidation.

-

"What are you doing here?" Jett growled towards the Lucario while ignoring the excited clamors of the surrounding crowd, several Pokémon struggling to make their way towards the front to merely glimpse at the new arrival. "I thought you were training in the Barren Continent."

The Lucario named Zephyr let out a gentle smile. "I was," he stated in a calm, yet firm voice, "But I received word about this human here, as well as the frankly barbaric treatment him and his team have endured at the hands of his fellow Pokémon."

"If you're not going to help me, then stay out of this. I have this under control."

"I simply wish to reason with you." Zephyr responded calmly, "What have these Pokémon done to deserve this kind of treatment?"

"They're humans and human sympathizers. They're dangerous. What more needs to be said?"

"And your evidence for such a claim? Nothing truly indicates that these humans are dangerous save for a decade-old tale and the widespread paranoia which has resulted from it. There is no evidence which correlates these humans to the imposing danger which this world currently faces."

Jett forcefully shook her head. "If any possibility exists for them being a threat to the world, then it is our responsibility as Legend Ranks to neutralize them! They've already shown their capacity for malice by harming my beloved pupil!"

Zephyr's wise expression darkened slightly. "Is this what Legend Ranks have devolved into? Hunting down Pokémon far weaker than them out of sheer impulse?"

Jett had no response as Zephyr continued, "And besides, I think that your beloved pupil here may have something to say about our humans here."

From the bustling, energetic crowd squeezed the thin frame of Percival. Although his body was still covered in scratches, Trevor noted that the Aegislash looked noticeably healthier than he did a few hours prior. "Master, " he spoke with a timid, emotion-tinged voice, "I do not mean to go against your teachings, but I am afraid that I cannot agree with this. All three of these Pokémon, human or otherwise, have proven themselves as altruistic; it is because of them that I remain alive to this day." The Aegislash let out a deep sigh. "To continue to persecute these fine Pokémon would be nothing short of... unjust."

After a long period of strained silence, Jett finally allowed herself to hang her head downwards in resignation. Placing a pincer onto the colorful stone wrapped around her neck again, she transformed back into her normal form before beckoning towards Percival.

"Let's go, Percival," Jett said calmly, "Let's finish tending to your wounds. I suppose I'll have to leave everything up to Zephyr now."

The Lucario rose his head high as Jett carried Percival away, his billowing locks and toned muscles shimmering in moonlight while he turned to address the crowd. In just one glance, Trevor could instantly feel the ocean of difference in power which separated him and Zephyr. Despite his serene personality, Trevor could see that Zephyr's reputation as the strongest Explorer was not unfounded.

"Fellow Pokémon," the Lucario roared in a commanding voice which immediately caused Trevor's fur to stick outwards, "We cannot allow this type of treatment to continue! If we continue to harbor this mentality of blind fear and hatred, nothing will ever change for the better. We will be perpetually trapped in a cycle where history is doomed to repeat itself for all of eternity. We cannot permit our fears to control us any longer! We must be willing to cast away our prejudices and accept that which may seem strange and unfamiliar!"

The Lucario glanced briefly towards Trevor before continuing. "Humans and Pokémon are not so different as you may assume, and it is high time we finally acknowledge this! We must dare to break this prolonged, generational pattern of rejecting that which appears unfamiliar to us based on the blindest of suspicion!" Zephyr inhaled deeply before declaring in a booming voice, "It is only by taking this leap of faith that things will actually begin to improve!"

His final utterance continued to reverberate for minutes, nobody daring to interrupt. One by one, several Pokémon in the crowd who had slung insults and threats now bowed their heads in shame, the nighttime air filling with rapturous applause. As Zephyr finished addressing the crowd, Aiden whispered one, single utterance into Trevor's ear:

"See? I told you: you belong."

Trevor's eyes quickly filled with tears as he broke down into relieved sobs, Aiden consoling him while gently placing a paw on his shoulder.

"Rin," Aiden called out, "Aren't you gonna say something? ...Rin?"

Aiden turned around to find Rin gone yet again- all that remained was his white scarf bundled snugly inside of his green armband, both of which lay on the ground where he once stood moments prior.

"Where's Rin?" Trevor muttered upon noticing his disappearance.

Aiden shrugged, picked up the scarf and armband, then stared off into the distance. "He's probably dealing with his own problems at his own pace. He did just reveal to everybody how he's one of the most infamous Pokémon to ever exist, after all. I'm sure he'll be fine. Him and I may not get along all the time, but I can't deny that he's among the strongest Pokémon I've ever met ...second to you, of course."

As Aiden struggled to carry Trevor to his feet, his bruised arm slung across her shoulders, the surrounding crowd which once tormented the pair now silently formed a path through which they could walk through. Zephyr nodded in approval, then smiled warmly towards Aiden, then Trevor. "You two had better get some much-needed rest," he said softly.

Aiden gave another slow nod, the turned towards Trevor with relieved, shimmering eyes.

"Yeah, I think we deserve a nice rest. Let's go, Treph."

-

"Aiden..." Trevor muttered as the pair finally reached the Dawnbreak Woods' exit. Golden leaves continued to litter their feet as the full moon shimmered overhead.

"Yeah?" Aiden responded, looking intently into Trevor's tired eyes.

Trevor, despite his overwhelming fatigue, managed to break out a wide smile- the first genuine smile he would make ever since they witnessed the burning remains of their house. "Of all of the Pokémon that I could possibly have met when arriving in this world, in these very woods... you were the best possible Pokémon I could ever have encountered." Trevor's voice quivered. "Thank you... for being the best partner anyone can ask for."

Aiden's limbs trembled, her eyes instantly turning glossy as her breaths turned sharp and irregular from sheer emotion. Trevor and Aiden wrapped themselves in a tight, intimate embrace which lasted for several minutes, both parties finding a visceral solace in being within the other's company. The two managed to find true bliss in their inseparability.

END OF ACT 1